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'Shameless' announces Season 11 will be final, fans beg them to make Ian and Mickey the center focus

Fans trend #GallavichDeservesScreentime, complaining about how the lack of well-deserved screentime is 'screaming homophobia'

Almost a week ago, Showtime's 10-year-old hit dramedy 'Shameless' announced what a lot of fans might consider inevitable: the show's 11th season, that is the one following the currently airing one, will be its final.

The sole reason behind having expected this news is that despite the show being a William H Macy show, it had soared to massive popularity for its prime matriarch of nine seasons - Emmy Rossum. But looking at the majority of fans reacting to the announcement made by the show's official social media accounts, it is also clear that 90%  of the fandom thinks the show should make characters Ian Gallagher and Mickey Milkovich the main focus in the culminating Season 11.

This is pretty big considering just this time last year, Cameron Monaghan who plays Ian, quit the show with its mid-season 9 finale.

Ian and Noel Fisher's Mickey's stories had finally received closure and all was well once they were reunited in prison.

The news of Monaghan quitting had arrived shortly after Rossum had revealed her own exit from the show, in September 2018, right before Season 9 premiered. As expected, doubts reigned the entire fandom who couldn't fathom just how the show would go on without the Gallagher family matriarch, Fiona. Much like Fiona's character taking the wheel at just nine years old to raise her five other siblings because of her drunk and degenerate father, Frank (Macy) and a bipolar absent mother, Rossum carried the torch and proved to be the bigger star of the show - becoming a consisted fan favorite right away.

So, considering the show announced it will wrap within just two seasons of her exit, the reason could be attributed to the lack of a Fiona-factor. But that's not what the fandom is concerned about at all. Soon as season 9 wrapped, Monaghan revealed he was returning in Season 10 as a regular and so did Fisher. Ian and Mickey's storyline has been a frustrating life in prison, turning into domestic issues, eventually culminating into an elaborate wedding - a lot happening in the lives of the couple that fans have rooted for right from the day they shared screen space. Over the years, the Gallavich romance has gained what can be called the biggest section of their fanbase, so with Rossum's exit, it is understandable why the show bosses would want to bring the couple back. But for all the hype and promise the season portrayed, fans have been left disappointed by the token screentime the couple is offered.

For a while now. fans have been complaining about how Gallavich deserved the most exploration in terms of plot and development along with screen space, but aren't given even a moiety of the 'respect'. So when 'Shameless' announced that Season 11 will be their final, the Gallavich stans didn't hold back. "PLEASE hire s4 writers back. PLEASE hire the new editors. the lack of Ian & Mickey screentime is screaming homophobia & it's OUTRAGEOUS in the worst way possible. PLEASE finish the story right, let them finally be happily ever after. #GallavichDeservesScreentime," replied a fan in the comments section of the post. 

Listing down what they wanted, another fan replied: "I want this in season 11: - more gallavich scenes - more mickey scenes - don't cut gallavich scenes - keep a good plot with each character - better writings - mandy visits - lip does not leave the show - and of course that fiona returns."

A third one shared: "Give Mickey and Ian more screentime. Them being domestic w real marriage issues like every other couple. Yet they r solid and happy."

Summing it up for the rest of the fandom, a fan shared: "We will literally praise them every episode if they give Gallavich more screentime. It's such a great story & a promo. Ian & Mickey are a such powerful couple. They deserve at least one season focused on THEM, with a lot of affection, hugs, hand holding, kisses & sex. #GallavichDeservesScreentime." As expected, the GallavichDeservesScreentime hashtag trended steadily for a solid few hours too, thus notifying the power of the fandom.

As we sit here hoping the creators listen, it's also interesting how Rossum self-admittedly found out about the show ending through Twitter. Let that sink in! To her tweet informing fans of her source, most of them pleaded her to return for the final season. As expected.

'Shameless' Season 10 airs on Sundays at 9 pm only on Showtime